Local Goa News

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Ravi calls Nigerians negroes, sparks controversy

Seeks ban on their entry in India; says during his tenure as Home minister several Nigerians were involved in drug trade

PANJIM: In what could spark off a major racist controversy, former Chief Minister Ravi Naik on Tuesday referred to Nigerians as ‘negroes’ and demanded they be banned from entering the country.
Addressing media persons, Naik called upon the Central government to ban Nigerians from entering India and demanded that Nigerian students staying illegally and indulging in illegal activities in Goa must be screened for documents and deported immediately.
Naik, also a former Home minister said, “State does not need Nigerian tourists. These negroes (Nigerians) have been causing problems in Goa as well as in other metros.”
“The government of India should ban them. They should be probed. It should be checked whether many of them are here to study or for picnics or to sell drugs,” he demanded.
The statement comes days after Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar found himself in the centre of a controversy after he said that people in the State are annoyed with the ‘different attitude’ of Nigerians. The series of statements come against the backdrop of an incident wherein an African was murdered in New Delhi.
“Nigerians come here and do ‘dadagiri’, in Delhi, Bengaluru and the entire country too. We should move the Nigerians out of here,” Naik said, adding that even Aam Aami Party leaders had a fight with Nigerians in Bengaluru in the past.
Naik said that during his tenure as Home Minister, several Nigerians were involved in the drug trade and action against them led to his name allegedly cropping up with links to the drug trade. “I was dragged into the drug trade. There were allegations against me and one Roy,” he said. When asked who Roy was, he said, “someone from Ponda”.
The House Committee led by Nuvem MLA Francisco Pacheco had named the former Home Minister and his son Roy for involvement in the politician-police-drug mafia nexus. The report was not accepted by the Assembly, as two of the three members had refused to sign it.